Home Inspections
“Anyone else is just looking around.” ®
WHAT REALLY MATTERS...
Buying a home? The process can be stressful. A home inspection is supposed to give you peace of mind, but often has the opposite effect. You will be asked to absorb a lot of information in a short time. This often includes a written report, checklist, photographs, environmental reports and what the inspector himself says during the inspection. All this combined with the seller's disclosure and what you notice yourself makes the experience even more overwhelming. What should you do?
Relax. Most of your inspection will be maintenance recommendations and minor imperfections. These are nice to know about. However, the issues that really matter will fall into four categories:
1. Major defects. An example of this would be a
structural failure.
2. Things that lead to major defects. A small roof-flashing leak, for example.
3. Things that may hinder your ability to finance, legally occupy or insure the home.
4. Safety hazards, such as an exposed, live buss
bar at the electric panel.
Anything in these categories should be
addressed. Often a serious problem can be
corrected inexpensively to protect both life and
property (especially in categories 2 and 4).
Most sellers are honest and are often surprised
to learn of defects uncovered during an
inspection. Realize that sellers are under no
obligation to repair everything mentioned in the
report. No home is perfect. Keep things in
perspective. Do not kill your deal over things
that do not matter.
Pre-Purchase (Buyer's) Inspections
This type of inspection is usually performed after a property has been put on the market by a seller but before a potential buyer has taken possession of the property prior to the closing contract. The buyer will usually sign a conditional offer with the seller prior to ordering this type of inspection. If a property fails to meet the buyer's expectations as a result of the inspection, then the sale may fall through. In many cases, a Buyer's Inspection will help both the buyer and the seller to identify damage or other problems that may exist with a property so that both parties can either renegotiate the selling price or the seller's responsibilities to repair the property at the seller's expense prior to the final close.
Pre-Listing (Seller's) Inspections
This type of inspection is usually performed by a seller before a property is listed or announced for sale. The property owner will perform a Seller's Inspection to determine what damage or other problems exist with a property in order to determine factors such as fair market value, discount values, or any pre-listing expenditure necessary to increase the value and desirability of the property.
Home Maintenance Inspection
Cars are taken in for tune-ups, people get annual check-ups, and so should your home. A Home Maintenance Inspection should be done annually to protect what is most peoples largest investment...your home!
Small problems from lack of maintenance can pop up periodically and should be corrected to minimize the cost of repair. Small issues can turn into large issues, which can turn into expensive repairs or replacement of systems or components. A Home Maintenance Inspection can catch those issues to ensure the money for replacement stays in your pocket and not in the hands of someone else.
Click To See Our Home Maintenance Flyer
Click to see our WETT Inspection Flyer
“Anyone else is just looking around.” ®
